Combined compound crank and rotary engine.



G. G. RICHARDS.

COMBINED COMPOUND CRANK AND ROTARY ENGINE.

APILHA'I'ION IJLEIJ NOV, 15. 1910.

1,006,276. Patented Oct. 17, 1911 V 2 BHEETB8HEET I 4 T22 E a G. C. RICHARDS. COMBINED COMPOUND CRANK AND ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION TILED NOV. 15. 1910.

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i J I 1 i I I @raggfxizf @JMJ ' Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

twin reciprocating steam engines.

GEORGE C. RICHARDS, OF

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED COMPOUND CRANK AIhTD ROTARY ENGINE.

1 ,ooogms.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

Application filed November 15. 1910. Serial No, 592,483.

Toot! whom it 1:10.11] concern:

lie it known that l, (ii-:ouou RICHARDS, citizen of the. United States, residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have. invented new and useful improvements in onihinerl (onipound. Crank and ltotary Engines, of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to engines, either gas or steam, and pertains especially to means for utilizing the exhaust of the engine for propelling iiurposes.

The invention consists ot the parts and the combination and construction of pub: hereinafter more fully described anu claimed, having reference to the tl(.'tt)lli] ).'lll ing drawings, in w,hieh- Figure 1 is an elevation and partial section of the. invention as applied to an internal combustion engine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rotor ei'nployedin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents the invention applied to Fig. ,4 is a side elevation of the rotor of Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 1, A, represents one or more reciprocating gas engines operating with a crank shaft 2. 3 is'au exhaust pipe leading from each engine and each pipe having a nozzle or inlet 4 delivering into {teasing 5 in which is the rotor (3. The latler is of any suitable description and is preferably disposed between the engines and secured to the crank shaft 2, as shown in Fig. 1. The periphery of the rotor is provided with a series of buckets or pockets 7 which run inside of a stationary rim or housing 8; the pockets being adapted to receive the intermittent jets from the exhaust through the nozzles 4, and later to release these gases through suitable exhaust ports 9, into a common exhaust pipe 10'. The sides of the rotor running in the stationary rim 8 may be packed on either side by suitable yielding or springressed packing ringsll, for the par ose o? maintaining a tight joint and con ning the gases in the pockets between aninlet 4 and a succeeding -exhaust port 9.

The rim 8 may be made in sections and bolted together, as shown at 12, Fig. 2, and suitably secured on the engine frame.

In practice, the ex lodcd gases in the cylinder of an engine acts, first, under expansion to drive the piston w-forward to operate the crank shaft like in any ordinary reciprocating engine. On the return stroke pipe 3 and it is the utilization of this exaust by the means herein employed that constitutes the essence of the present invention. The exhaust from pipe 3 is delivered through its nozzle 4: against the buckets 7 of the rotor 6, after the fashion of an impulse water wheel. The rraetance on the. rotor due to the jet impulses is proportionate to the'foree of two jet and the diameter of the rotor. In many cases these exhaust jets are made with a great. deal of force from the engine. and where there is a plurality-0f e \-'linder. operating in unison the combined effect of the exhaust from all of them is practically continuous, and the nozzles may be arranged so as to deliver these. exhaust jets around a considerable aortion of the circumference of the rotor. has, I utilize the otherwise lost power latent in the exhaust gases, positively to drive the engine. The result of this construction is the eombined compound crank and rotary internal combustion engine.

lnFigs. Ii'and 4,. u'hile steam is used'the principle of eompouhding is essentially the same. in this latter case the exhaust steam from the cylinders A is delivered to the exhaust. pipes 23' into an e\iniust chamber 5', which has arseries of utlets or nozzles adapted to discharge at a suitable incline into the. peripheral pockets 7' of the rotor ii. The expanded compounded steam is trapped in the pockets by the inner wall of the chamber 5', until the pockets pass beyond, and exhaustat 9. r

It is manifest that there may be any number of engines working either singly or in pairs, -or according to any other desired group arrangement, and the rotor 6 or (5 may be'sccured at any suitable place on the crank sh aft.

Not only is the exhaust utilized to drive a fluid impulse rotor, but the latter in turn with its buckets and easing operates as a mutiler, andall without materially retarding the speed'of the engine.

.The rotor is in eifcct a supplemental engine operated by the exhaust and acting conjointly with the main engine to drive the crank shaft.

It is manifest that the principle would be the same in regard to the. supplemental engine if a part ofthe'originnl explosive or impelhn charge were directed against the. rotor. lh fact the rotor may he impelled of the piston a, exhaust takes place through i from any source'of fluid pressure generated 'vices interposed between the ring an avin thus described 'my. invention,

what I c aim and desire tosecure'by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination in an engine, of a crank shaft, 3, series of internal combustion engines connected to the shaft, a casing having bearings supporting the shaft, a rotor between the engmes on the shaft :1 ring in the casing circumferentially inciosing. the rotor and ha-Vin jet-openings whereby exhaust gas from t e enlgines maiy against the rotor, an yieldah e packin d: t e faces of the rotor to prevent leakage.

2. The combination in an engine, ofa. crank shaft, a series of internal combustion engines connected tothe shaft, a casing havbe projected 1 devices comprising ing bearings supporting the shaft, a rotor 20 between the engines on the shaft, a ring in .the casing oircumferentially inclosing the rotor and havin jet openings whereby exhaust gas from t e engines ma be projectedagainst the rotor, and yieldab e packin de- 25 vices interposed between the rin an the faces of the rotor to revent lea age, said ands mounted for transverse movement in under cut recesses in the casing ringand adapted to bear upon the side faces of the'ro'tor.

,In testimony whereof I have hereunto set hand in the 'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, GEORGE C; RICHARDS.

Witnesses: Cmmnns EDELMAN, A. P: LATHROP. 

